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PELLI'S PLATINUM VISIONAIRE
At first glance, the glossy new 35-story condominium tower slicing into the lower Manhattan skyline doesn't stand out as a beacon of sustainable design. Its sleek form — an extruded curving wedge accented with red terra cotta bands — looks more Ferrari than Prius. And the structure's granite base and travertine lobby walls are elements not usually associated with green building. Published 2009.0610
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7 WORLD TRADE CENTER
Seven World Trade Center was the third building to collapse on September 11, 2001, and it is the first to be rebuilt. Designed by David Childs of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the new building is composed of 42 floors of office space set above eight floors of Con Edison transformers (located in large concrete vaults at street level). Published 2009.0603
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ENDANGERED HISTORIC U.S. PLACES 2009
Unity Temple, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright for his own Unitarian congregation in Oak Park, Illinois, remains an icon of early modern architecture, with its geometric design, strong massing, characteristic detailing, and use of exposed concrete. Published 2009.0513
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BUILD BOSTON 2008
The 2008 Build Boston convention and trade show seemed, on the surface, to be its usual hustling, bustling, active marketplace of hundreds of educational workshops, dozens of receptions and affiliated conferences, and a convention floor full of product booths centered around the design and construction industry. Published 2009.0128
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NEW YORK ACADEMY OF SCIENCES
When you hear the words "academy of sciences" what do you think of? Musty rooms with dark wood paneling and overstuffed furniture? Curio cabinets filled with microscopes and specimens in formaldehyde? This isn't the image that the New York Academy of Sciences wanted its headquarters to project. Published 2007.0509
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FIVE YEARS LATER
We bear witness this week both to an international tragedy and to the largest architectural disaster in U.S. history. Five years ago, two of our largest buildings were utterly and unexpectedly destroyed, killing thousands of people who were unable to escape them. On this anniversary, as people around the world can still feel the ground reverberating, let us pause in remembrance.
Published 2006.0913
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ENDANGERED AMERICA
The National Trust for Historic Preservation announced in May its 2006 list of the 11 "Most Endangered Historic Places" in the United States. These buildings have been damaged or threatened by hurricanes, terrorists, development pressures, or simple neglect. The organization issues this list to bring public attention to heritage structures that might be preserved if rescued in time. Published 2006.0607
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TOWERING TASKMASTER TOUTED
While architects, and sometimes engineers, receive headlines for dramatic achievements in building, it is often the less heralded construction manager who is responsible for making architectural innovations possible. This year, the annual Henry C. Turner Prize for Innovation in Construction Technology recognizes such a person. Published 2004.1013
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MODELING LIBESKIND'S WTC
Like other contemporary architects, Daniel Libeskind — designer of the new World Trade Center — and his firm use computer-aided modeling tools extensively during schematic design. But the firm also relies on physical models. As the new World Trade Center design develops in the public limelight, a look back at its schematic beginnings reveals a process in which physical and computer models evolved in parallel. Published 2004.0303
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RECONSTRUCTION COMPLICATIONS CONTINUE
When architect Daniel Libeskind was chosen in February 2003 to redesign New York's World Trade Center site, it appeared to be an irrevocable decision about the fate of "Ground Zero." But controversies have persisted, and what finally gets built may be very different from Libeskind's original design vision. Published 2003.0827
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